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Quote by Lynn Nottage

“When you begin a play, you're going to have to spend a lot of time with those characters, so those characters are going to have to be rich enough that you want to take a very long journey with them. That's how I begin thinking about what I want to write about and who I want to write about.”

Quote by Lynn Nottage

Author

Lynn Nottage, born on November 2, 1964, is an influential American playwright known for her profound themes and rich character development. Her works have won multiple Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prizes. more

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“When the play is still evolving I try to be at rehearsal as often as possible, and part of that casting process. You find new things when the language is living in different people's mouths.”

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“I think that when you're first shaping the play and trying to find a character, the initial actors that develop it end up imprinting on it - you hear their voices, you hear their rhythms. You can't help but to begin to write toward them during the rehearsal process.”

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“I see the audience as the final collaborator. I think it's kind of bullshit when people say, "I'm not interested in the audience reaction." I'm like, "Then why do you do theater? You can write a book, then you don't have to see how the audience reacts." It's a living, breathing thing.”

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“I'm interested in the moments where the audience is restless. I'm interested in the moments where they lean in and become incredibly engaged: the laughter, the silence. All of that is part of how I think about shaping and rewriting the play.”

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“I want the audience, when they leave, to think of the characters on the stage in three dimensions. I want them to have empathy. I also want them to think about engaging more with where we are culturally.”

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“I love costumes in dance, I think it's very important. The clothes for dancing not only make you feel like somebody else, but it makes you move in a different way.”

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“With dancers, we are all the time dancing with somebody else. It happens often that you meet a new dancer or you have a new partner. But what is true is that sometimes, when you dance with some people, there is not the right feeling.”

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